The perceptual effects of signal components: black sword margins are crucial for signal size discrimination in green swordtails .

The signals that mediate mate choice can be complex, comprising multiple components, and understanding how complex signals evolve under sexual selection has been the focus of much study. However, open questions still remain about the role of the female's sensory and perceptual processes in shaping the evolution of complex signals. Male green swordtails have an elongated caudal fin that comprises colour, length and a black melanic margin; females prefer males with larger bodies, longer swords and complete black sword margins.

The promise of community-driven preprints in ecology and evolution.

Publishing preprints is quickly becoming commonplace in ecology and evolutionary biology. Preprints can facilitate the rapid sharing of scientific knowledge establishing precedence and enabling feedback from the research community before peer review. Yet, significant barriers to preprint use exist, including language barriers, a lack of understanding about the benefits of preprints and a lack of diversity in the types of research outputs accepted (e.

Forecasting sea otter recolonization: insights from isotopic analysis of modern and zooarchaeological populations.

Retrospective datasets offer essential context for conservation by revealing species' ecological roles before industrial-era human impacts. We analysed isotopic compositions of pre-industrial and modern sea otters () to reconstruct pre-extirpation ecology and offer insights for management. Our study focuses on southeast Alaska (SEAK), where sea otters are recolonizing, and northern Oregon, where translocations are being considered.

Social learning preserves both useful and useless theories by canalizing learners' exploration.

In many domains, learning from others is crucial for leveraging cumulative cultural knowledge, which encapsulates the efforts of successive generations of innovators. However, anecdotal and experimental evidence suggests that reliance on social information can reduce the exploration of the problem space. Here, we experimentally investigate the extent to which cultural transmission fosters the persistence of arbitrary solutions in a context where participants are incentivized to improve a physical system across multiple trials.

A Game of Life with dormancy.

The factors contributing to the persistence and stability of life are fundamental for understanding complex living systems. Organisms are commonly challenged by harsh and fluctuating environments that are suboptimal for growth and reproduction, which can lead to extinction. Many species contend with unfavourable and noisy conditions by entering a reversible state of reduced metabolic activity, a phenomenon known as dormancy.

Hospice Care in the Emergency Department: An Evolving Landscape.

Despite the increasing focus on goal-concordant care in the emergency department (ED), there is limited data about patients who receive a new hospice referral and the care paths of patients on hospice who present there. Describe the characteristics and clinical course of ED patients who receive a new hospice referral and those already receiving hospice care. Retrospective chart review of all adult patients presenting to the ED from January 2021 to July 2023.

Optimizing Prostate Cancer Surgery for Seniors: Single-Port Robotic-Assisted Platform.

The Da Vinci single-port (SP) platform is being used more frequently in radical prostatectomy (RP). In this study we aimed to compare the complications and oncological outcomes of the Da Vinci SP platform in robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (SP-RARP) between elderly and young age-groups and to further examine differences between young-old and old-old patients. Data from 193 patients who underwent SP-RARP between December 2018 and June 2024 were analyzed.

Preferences of nurses in the United Kingdom for attributes of pediatric hexavalent vaccines: a discrete-choice experiment.

Background: We evaluated UK nurses' preferences for pediatric hexavalent vaccine attributes.

Research Design And Methods: In a discrete-choice experiment study, 150 nurses chose between 2 hypothetical pediatric hexavalent vaccines with varying attribute levels (device type, plastic in packaging, time on the market, and time the vaccine can stay safely at room temperature) in a series of choice questions. Using random-parameters logit-model estimates, conditional relative attribute importance (CRAI) and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated.

Rationale and design of the FAIR-HF2-DZHK05 trial: Ferric carboxymaltose assessment of morbidity and mortality in patients with iron deficiency and chronic heart failure.

Aims: While it is widely accepted that intravenous (IV) iron improves functional capacity, symptoms, and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) diagnosed with iron deficiency (ID), three recently published cardiovascular outcome trials (AFFIRM-AHF, IRONMAN and HEART-FID) of IV iron supplementation in HF failed to demonstrate a significant benefit on their respective primary endpoints. Dosing of IV iron after the initial correction of baseline ID - by design or as a result of trial circumstances - was relatively low (i.e.

Building blocks for nanophotonic devices and metamaterials.

Nanophotonic devices control and manipulate light at the nanometer scale. Applications include biological imaging, integrated photonic circuits, and metamaterials. The design of these devices requires the accurate modeling of light-matter interactions at the nanoscale and the optimization of multiple design parameters, both of which can be computationally demanding and time intensive.

Increased sodium consumption is associated with psoriasis: A population-based cohort study.

Background: Sodium is stored in skin and may trigger or perpetuate autoimmune diseases including psoriasis. One previous study found skin sodium was elevated in a small group of patients with severe psoriasis compared to healthy controls, but the relationship between sodium intake and psoriasis within a population has not been investigated.

Objectives: To identify whether dietary sodium intake is associated with psoriasis and whether there are subgroups of individuals more likely to have salt-sensitive psoriasis.

Behavioral Cetology in the 19th Century: Thomas Beale, Henry Cheever, Thomas Southwell and Their Role in Awakening a Cetacean Protection Consciousness.

Although naturalists have devoted attention to cetaceans since Antiquity, it was only in the 19th century that cetology underwent a true explosion. Three key cetological works of this period are The Natural History of the Sperm Whale (1839) by Thomas Beale, The Whaleman's Adventures in the Southern Ocean (1850) by Henry Cheever and The Seals and Whales of the British Seas (1881) by Thomas Southwell. Importantly, these three works did not only represent fundamental compendia of scientific knowledge of cetaceans, but also had a crucial role in awakening a cetacean protection consciousness.

Prostate Artery Embolization in the Setting of Prostate Cancer: Review and Opinion.

Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) is a novel minimally invasive angiographic technique that has been used effectively to treat men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, applications of PAE for men with prostate cancer have been minimally studied. This review serves as an update on the status of PAE in men with prostate cancer, as well as a discussion of emerging indications.

Examining the arrhythmogenicity of dobutamine when used in conjunction with isoflurane in horses: A retrospective study at a single university teaching hospital.

Background: Dobutamine is used to treat hypotension in isoflurane-anaesthetised horses but may produce arrhythmias. Halothane is a volatile anaesthetic that was, historically, widely used in horses, but in one study, 56 of 200 halothane-anaesthetised horses (28%) developed arrhythmias after dobutamine administration. Although isoflurane has largely replaced halothane, it is unknown how isoflurane and dobutamine interact in the development of arrhythmias.

Analysis of Heavy Metal Accumulation in Ulva rigida and its Effects on Seed Germination of Pennisetum glaucum.

The alga contains salt and heavy metals that are accumulated in algae poses a significant challenge to the safe use of algae in soil fertilization and other applications. This study examines the relevance of algal biomass as an environmentally friendly fertilizer, thereby contributing to sustainable coastal management practices. In this study, the hot and cold extraction method were done to obtain the Ulva rigida extract.

Parent-Reported Feeding Practices Associated With Children's Observed Willingness-to-Try-New-Foods in Childcare.

Feeding behaviours are established early in life, with lifelong influences on children's appetite, growth and health, emphasizing the importance of understanding how parent-child feeding interactions relate to children's eating and growth patterns. The objective was to examine reciprocity between parent-reported feeding practices and children's observed willingness-to-try-new-foods in childcare settings without parental presence, thereby assessing independence from context and parental influence. The sample included parent-child dyads (n = 436) recruited from 51 childcare centres across 10 counties.

Risk Factors and Outcomes of Invasive Candida Infections in Heart Transplant Recipients: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Invasive Candida infections (ICI) are the most common invasive fungal infections in solid organ transplant recipients. There are limited contemporary data on the risk factors for infection in heart transplant (HT) recipients especially since the expansion of temporary mechanical circulatory support (MCS) use.

Methods: This was a case-control study conducted at a tertiary care academic hospital of HT recipients from January 2022 to January 2024.

Robotic versus laparoscopic colorectal surgery for patients with obesity: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Obesity poses significant challenges in colorectal surgery, affecting operative difficulty and postoperative recovery. The choice of minimally invasive approach for this patient population remains a challenge during preoperative planning. This review aims to provide an updated synthesis of studies comparing laparoscopic and robotic approaches for adult patients with obesity undergoing colorectal surgery.

Sarcopenia As a Predictor of Survival and Complications of Patients With Cirrhosis After Liver Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: This systematic review/meta-analysis evaluated the impact of sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis before liver transplantation (LT) on outcomes after LT.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted in six medical databases until February 2022. The primary outcome was overall mortality after LT, while several secondary outcomes including liver graft survival and rejection, the need for transfusions, the length of the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay, and surgical complications were evaluated.

Linking American Spine Registry (ASR) and Medicare Data:an analysis of 8,755 Lumbar Fusion Cases.

Study Design: Retrospective observational study.

Objective: To evaluate whether the combined American Spine Registry and Medicare (ASR/CMS) data yields substantially different findings versus ASR data alone with regard to key parameters such as risk stratification, complication rates and readmission rates in lumbar surgery investigated through an analysis of 8,755 spondylolisthesis cases.

Summary Of Background Data: Medicare data correlation has been effective for determining revision rates for other procedures such as total hip replacement.

Quantifying Muscle Volume Deficits Among 38 Lower Extremity Muscles in Collegiate Football Athletes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Background: Quadriceps dysfunction is ubiquitous after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR). Addressing quadriceps dysfunction is crucial to improve function, reduce the reinjury risk, and maintain long-term knee health. While deficits specific to the quadriceps are well documented, less is known about the effect of an ACL injury on other lower extremity muscle groups.

Intraoperative Hemodynamic Monitoring and Prediction of Early Allograft Dysfunction Following Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Systematic Review.

Background: Multiple intraoperative hemodynamic parameters are associated with an increased risk of early allograft dysfunction (EAD) following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT); however, there is significant center-to-center variability in terms of which parameters are used. We sought to determine which intraoperative hemodynamic parameters are most predictive of EAD following LDLT.

Methods: This is a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO ID: CRD42023409711).

Impact of Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion on Inpatient Cost: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of the US Nationwide Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Database.

Background: The goal of this study was to investigate the association between ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) use and inpatient hospitalization cost for lung transplantation in a nationwide sample.

Methods: Lung transplantation patients in 2018-2020 Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) were grouped based on use of EVLP. The primary outcome was total inpatient hospitalization cost.